Tiger Stripes (2023)

All-girls' elementary school student Nur Zaffan binti Azman starts developing mature interests, such as doing suggestive dances in the bathroom and wearing a bra, accompanied by fellow students Mariam and prefect Farah binti Muhamad Zaid. Zaffan is exposed when teacher Azizah forces her to open the bathroom door and is thus admonished by headteacher Sabariah. Zaffan plays at a stream in a jungle with Farah and Mariam and is chased out of her house by her overbearing mother Munah for returning in underwear as she had wet her uniform. One night, Zaffan begins her menarche while sleeping.

Zaffan's menstruation prevents her from attending mandatory prayers; Farah warns her about the legend of Ina, a pink-eyed demonic woman who became feral and lived in the jungle due to her period. Zaffan later witnesses the Ina, whom the others could not see, on top of a tree, which Farah ridicules her for. The next day, Zaffan menstruates again in class, entering puberty as she develops acne and begins shedding her nails, forcing her to wear gloves.

After Mariam turns down Zaffan's offer to walk home with her, Zaffan, inspired, requests her father Azman to let her join the Girl Guides for a school program. Zaffan witnesses the Ina again one night at camp, and the next day, she rescues a student, Liyana, who hid on top of a tree to avoid being bullied by the seniors, earning a badge during the exam results announcement ceremony. Farah grows jealous at Zaffan as a result, believing she is trying to emulate her. Munah admonishes Zaffan again for wearing gloves even at home.

Zaffan gains the ability to transform into a weretiger-like beast when angry, killing a frog with her bare hands. One day, Farah and her clique assault and patronize her in the bathroom over her promiscuous fantasies, knowing about her menstruations. As Zaffan transforms, she starts losing her hair and growing claws, inducing mass hysteria within students and teachers in her presence, though Zaffan escapes to start climbing trees. Zaffan returns that evening to find that the upper floor bathrooms were locked afterwards. Subsequently, the school hires publicity-seeking faith healer Dr. Rahim to investigate, and rumors circulate about the bathroom assault. Later that night, Zaffan gains a preference for eating animals.

During a foot drill, Farah collapses hysterically, claiming she had been possessed as Rahim rushes to the scene. Later, Zaffan senses that Mariam is also about to reach puberty. Mariam later spots Zaffan bathing at the stream before calling for Zaffan, who initially shuts her out, but confesses her desire to leave school and reveals her tiger form to Mariam. Mariam then agrees to stay beside Zaffan near the jungle.

Zaffan fights Munah over her wish to leave school, so Munah desperately promises Azman nothing would hurt her; Zaffan's eyes flash pink while sleeping. Next day, Rahim visits their village and approaches Zaffan's parents. He prepares to exorcise Zaffan at his treatment center with Farah and Mariam in attendance, goading them into sitting beside Zaffan. Rahim initially fails to force Zaffan to transform, threatening to banish her if she refuses. An audience member exposes Rahim as a fraud after Mariam defends Zaffan. In response, Rahim sprays and spits water at Zaffan, then gets his assistants to assault her. A transformed Zaffan kills Rahim, leaving behind his severed head before retreating to the jungle. Mariam attempts to follow Zaffan, but is dragged away as Farah is left wailing hysterically.

Sometime later, Sabariah launches a curfew, and mandates students to be accompanied by their legal guardians while traveling to and from the school. Mariam, who now wears gloves, and a now-demoted Farah find that Zaffan has successfully left school; Munah hopes for Zaffan's return. At night, Mariah and Farah come to play and live with Zaffan in the jungle, signifying that they have begun menstruating. Mariam accidentally scratches and wounds Farah's leg, revealing herself as a tiger. She then films Zaffan dancing at the stream.